The present invention relates to fishing lures, and more specifically to a lure in the form of an artificial minnow having a trailing skirt with means for simplified assembly of the minnow and skirt.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,847 of the present invention discloses a fishing lure in the form of a plastic minnow having head and tail portions and a central portion comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced, fins or ribs extending radially from a central body portion. This artificial lure was a variant of that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,600, also of the present inventor, which included a body portion having a plurality of releasably connected, externally grooved ribs. Although the artificial minnows of these patents have proven effective in many applications, it is sometimes desirable to include a trailing skirt of individual threads, strings or streamers with an artificial minnow.
In the past, such skirts have been fabricated as integral parts of artificial minnows, or as separate elements to be attached with a hook to a line or leader. It has not been the usual practise, however, to provide an artificial minnow in a form which permits selective attachment of a skirt-type lure at the point of use. Also, the only practical means to adjust the weight of such lures has been with the addition of externally connected weights which detract from the appearance thereof.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an artificial fish bait including a plastic minnow and a trailing skirt with cooperable assembly means permitting easy and rapid connection and disconnection of the body and skirt portions.
A further object is to provide a fishing lure comprising a plastic body portion with spaced, radially extending ribs, and a trailing skirt with means for quickly and easily assembling the body and skirt portions and for selectively changing the weight of the lure.
A further object is to provide an artificial fishing lure including a plastic body portion and detachable, trailing skirt portion with means for selectively controlling the weight of the lure.
Still another object is to provide an artificial lure with internally concealed, selectively variable weight means with novel means for attaching a line or leader directly to the hook.
Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.